In the world of “adventure travel” I have not discovered many people that I would actually like to emulate. The cliff hanging, wingsuit flying, glaciar-hopping, 18,000 ft flag-planting types have contributed great and inspiring reads for me, but I can’t, you know, relate. My greatest fantasies don’t include a robust flirtation with peril, just a mild teaser, and Christine’s life in the past five years has contained the combination I have been forming myself to. I met Christine, who is better known as “German Tourist” to anyone who’s happened upon her or her story, on the Arizona Trail in the spring of 2010. My first encounter with her was over breakfast, the next was in a hostel. I didn’t get the incredible pleasure of trail walking with her until we joined together for a descent into the womb of the earth, the Grand Canyon. I loved hearing of her travels and her life stories as we walked together. I loved discussing trail culture and food (always food) with her. I loved giving her new English words to chew on (German of course being her native language). Christine and I finished the Arizona Trail on the same day, though not at the same hour, and enjoyed a celebratory calzone together. I am sure we will continue to share words, routes, and experiences. I asked Christine to offer her own words on who she is and what she’s done. Be sure to also check out her blog for the full story.

CHRISTINE aka GT, guest posts:

My name is Christine or GT (that’s short for German Tourist) and I feel very honored to be invited by Kimberlie to write a guest post on her blog!

I used to be a responsible, taxpaying German citizen, even a career woman and then thru-hiking ruined my life – thank God!!!

It all started in 2004 when I thru-hiked the PCT. This was my first long-distance hike and after 2 weeks on the trail I knew that it would have to accomplish the triple crown, the successful thru-hiking of three major long-distance trails in the US, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Appalachian Trail, sooner or later. I went back to work for 2.5 years, thru-hiked the CDT in 2007, and have never stopped hiking since.

– how I did my first long bike tour across Europe, did almost everything wrong, and had to bail because of carpal tunnel syndrome
– how I finished the triple crown with the Appalachian Trail
– how I fell in love with hiking in Australia on the Bibbulmun Track
– how I met a British round-the-world-cyclist in Australia and ended up cycling with him for 7 months through New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea (no happy ending though…I am not as lucky as Kimberlie)
– all about Japanese toilets (it seems I am a bit obsessed with anal stuff) and cycling in Japan
– all about hiking the Florida Trail in an El Nino year (read: being flooded and drenched every day)
– how I met Kimberlie Dame and Colin Ibbotson on the Arizona Trail
– about my cycling trip in the US with the Mormons in Utah
– how I got rained on on almost every long-distance trail in Australia, the driest continent, because I seem to have all the bad luck with weather
– how I am recovering from all this hardship by eating my way through every food stall in Singapore.

After almost 4 years of constant hiking, cycling and paddling I am still not fed up. In 2011 I will thrupaddle the Yukon. Stay tuned!!!

Christine,
simply got to love you ! You are one of the most amazing women I ever came across (and there were some…;-).
Whatever you are in to – you will surely do it right !
Take good care,
your ole buddy from Berlin
Carsten

EVERY time I meet her thru-hiking and see her in pictures she’s smiling or with just a little smile of my own she can’t help but smile. How can you not like that? With all her varied experiences she’s never seemed pushy or acted like a know it all to me. Can’t help liking GT! Brightens my day when I meet and see her.